Thursday, August 14, 2014

So, Ferguson, Missouri. What's Up With That?

Is this the new normal in small town USA? Creepy.Image from source, New York Times.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you may have noticed that it's been rather thin around here, of late. Though I do tend to post less in the summer, there's more to it than that. I just can't wrap my hands around some of the horrible news going on in the world. You know? I mean, when it comes to the problems in Ukraine, Israel and Iraq, what can be said? These are long-running, war-prone regions, and I'm not going to pretend I have the answer. And shoot, most of the people who are paid to be experts don't seem to know what they're talking about either, most of the time.

Now, the news out of Ferguson, Missouri is a little closer to home. And my instinct in this case would be to reserve judgment until all the facts are in. I'm not one to immediately jump to the defense of the police or the accused. But I have to say, the cops are coming off badly here. Very, very badly. And I agree with the meme that is ricocheting around the internet: what does a small town police force need with all of this military gear? They look like an army invading a country. Is this what we want American towns to look like, occupied territory?

So, here's a little more on that. I'm going to try to get my brain in the game, but summer's not over yet. I still have that excuse.

[Excerpt]Amid Protests in Missouri, Officer’s Name Is Still WithheldIn the five days since an unarmed young black man was fatally shot by a police officer here, the selective release of information about the shooting, and especially the anonymity granted to the officer, has stoked frustrations in this largely African-American community north of St. Louis, where residents describe increasingly tense relations with the police. . .